Kenny Pieper

Kenny Pieper was born in Birmingham, Alabama and raised in the mountains of North Carolina. He began his craft career in high school when he studied at the Penland School of Crafts. Initially he studied pottery with Norm Schulman and Cynthia Bringle. Later he found his passion for glass under the tutelage of Richard Ritter.

After high school, Pieper moved to Detroit under scholarship at the Center for Creative Studies. He subsequently received his B.F.A. from California College of Art and Design in Oakland, CA. He then spent 16 years working as a glassblower in the San Francisco East Bay area.

Pieper's career came full circle when he left California and moved back to North Carolina. While constructing a studio there, he worked at Penland School and managed the glassblowing and lampworking studios. It was during this fruitful time that he developed his expertise in the tradition of Italian glass.

Pieper is deeply moved by the process of his medium. As an experienced glassblower of 29 years, Pieper relishes the dance of working with fire and glass in its liquid state. He is also intrigued by the luminosity of glass and its jewel-like qualities. Informed by the classical vessel, he seeks to convey elegance, harmony, and beauty. His goblets, vases, and bowls celebrate function and elevate the users’ experience.